


Handling Security

by CadersSparklet, SineadRivka



Series: Nova Initia: Cracks in the Shell [5]
Category: Jurassic World (2015), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 05:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5404388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadersSparklet/pseuds/CadersSparklet, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SineadRivka/pseuds/SineadRivka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jazz hates offices. He especially hates that he's required to have one as "Janarius Azzara," the head of Jurassic World Security. So he doesn't use it. Instead, he goes to where the people are and meets with them on their turf. This goes double for anyone who loves to play the avoidance game. Such as one Owen Grady.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Handling Security

**Author's Note:**

> Songs:  
> CadersSparklet: Mad World - Gary Jules and Michael Andrews  
> SineadRivka: Flynn Lives - Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy album

Jazz hated the office he had been assigned to his holoform persona. It was Hoskins' old domain and felt stuffy and bereft of any real touch with the park itself. So he shoved the lowest kid on the security totem pole into sorting all the paperwork that had been left behind. He wanted three piles: Public, Lock-And-Key, and Questionable Content. He never met anyone at his office. He much preferred the hand's-on approach.

And he always wanted to make sure that he met the folks on their own territory. It was symbolic, as the human subconscious knew that he was the guest and the interloper to their established turf.

But Jazz never liked doing things on someone else's time or schedule: he always chose his own to visit and get to know the animal handlers. Giving them time to prepare something for his “inspection” was not his style.

So he pulled up to the raptor paddock, mentally reviewing what Barry had said about it and agreeing wholeheartedly at his first view of Blue's home and Owen's second home. It was much smaller looking than what the blueprints told him for the actual paddock. Activating his holoform's solidity factor, Jan swung out of his SUV altmode, making sure to scuff the pebbles. Always was wise to announce his presence.

He eyeballed the new Sorna raptor pacing in one of the smaller holding pens off to one side, sucking on his teeth for a moment. _:How're you holding up, Dinobot?:_

_:I'm so fragging bored.:_

_:Blue isn't letting you into the pack yet?:_

_:No. Slagging bitch.:_

_:Language. How's your thought on her so far?:_ Jan was aware that Dinobot had stopped pacing to make eye contact with him.

Barry was off to one side, watching the interaction carefully. "Owen."

_:I think she's healthy, and has a firm connection with Owen as her Alpha. I'm not sure I should connect with him just yet. I'll see.:_

Barry was hissing up at his friend, "Owen, look!"

Owen had ignored the approaching vehicle, because unscheduled visits were normally with people he didn't want to see. He kept his posture casual, relaxing against the railing of the intersecting crosswalks as he kept an eye on Blue. Blue didn't seem too alarmed by whoever had shown up. So they weren't a threat, yet. It wasn't until Barry's persistent hissing that he moved.

A quick scan revealed the new head of security that Barry kept telling him about. Weird name that he couldn't remember. The Sorna raptor demanded his attention next because it was staring down the newcomer in an eerie manner. Body language suggested some type of communication, but he'd be damned if he could crack that yet. 

"See . . . goes to show you that they ain't compatible. Doesn't even act like a raptor," Owen stated in a loud and carrying voice so the head of security could hear him. Owen crossed his hands over his chest and leaned against the railing with his back towards Blue. She'd perked up as soon as Owen had spoken and now she approached the paddock side to peer at their guest. Clearly assessing for any threat she hadn't previously noticed. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled and Owen kept an eye on her, gauging her responses. 

Blue shook her head as if something was odd but then headed back off to where she'd been pacing earlier. Owen narrowed his eyes before deciding to come down and join Barry. Something didn't add up here and he was going to find out. 

"Be nice," Barry said in quiet warning and Owen was treated to a special look before having to plaster his customer service smile on. 

"Weren't expecting any tourists today, raptors are off-limits," he spoke loudly, dislike clear through his body posture. Oh, he knew who this guy was and who he was replacing. Blue tilted her head, eyes keen on the trio of men. 

"Good." Snorting at the Sorna Raptor in a distinctly-superior fashion, Jan walked a few steps closer to the paddock, but stopped well outside of any zone that would indicate immediate threat. "Raptors just ain't tourist-friendly. And I aim ta keep 'em that way. We ain't been formally introduced, since ya keep ignorin' my requests ta meet for a burger or burrito somewhere. Startin' ta get under mah skin, 'cause I wanna work with you and ya girl over there. I wanna start by you helping me find a better place ta build 'er a bigger paddock, an' I need ta know what you need ta fill out ya pack."

Jan blinked slowly, amber eyes taking in the defensive and angry stance of his Raptor Handler. "I'm Janarius Azzara. Jan. Don' want no fancy titles, don' wanna go by m' last name witchu. I may be from some military background, but that don' mean I wanna live there the rest o' my life." Jazz knew at some point, though, that he as his actual Cybertronian self would be sitting down with Owen to share some old Spec-Ops tales. He looked forward to scarin' the former Navy man to bits with the mean shit he'd done to preserve his Prime's Spark.

He still wasn't sure Primus forgave him for all of what he'd done. Being a Prime was a good way to be a conduit of his deity's wishes, but . . .

He got a mental and spiritual smack from his Bondmate, who was _trying_ to concentrate on going over the plan for rebuilding Main Street, Thank-You-Very-Much.

Slaggitall. Not the time for a crisis. He could cry in his mate's arms tonight. Later.

Back in the game.

Only one second passed. Good. 

He held his hand out like he wanted to shake Owen's. 

Owen had been so busy trying to formulate how to get rid of this guy, he had almost missed the crucial bit of information. His expression changed before he could school his face and his eyes betrayed him when they darted to Barry for confirmation on what he'd heard. Barry gave the _I told you_ so shrug. Owen wanted to facepalm. This was what Claire had been hinting at. The constant needling about needing to check out the restricted area. But it was the offer to refill the pack that stabbed at him. 

Blue needed a pack and she wasn't going to accept this new guy. She missed her own. He missed them. Charlie's over-excitability, Delta's attitude and Echo...well she had her quirks. They all did. All his girls and if he felt it, Blue did. She gave a chuffing noise and he knew he was frowning suspiciously at the man before him who offered his hand. They weren't just going to pull in a bunch of Sorna raptors and attempt to merge them. Blue wouldn't like that. 

He accepted the hand, ignoring Barry's sigh of relief before stating. "Alright, _Jane_ , where do we begin." The clear mispronunciation rolling off his tongue intently. Barry muttered something rude in French he didn't quite catch, but to hell if he was going to make this easy. 

Jan grinned. "Oh, don' tempt me ta Queen myself up, Owen Grady. My husband won't be that pleased with me afterwards. He ain't big on drag, sayin' that m' voice don't give the ladylike look much credit."

Barry pulled his jaw up off of the floor before shaking his head and looking back at the raptor paddock.

But Jan wasn't done. "Is th' girl safe ta let out of 'er paddock without a muzzle or leash?"

Owen snorted at that question. "She's a perfect lady."

"Owen." The warning was very clear this time. Barry was tense, but for the sake of Jan. This was a new variable, an unknown in the raptor’s daily routine, he had every right to worry on how she'd react.

"Relax Barry, stopped her from eating you last time," Owen teased as he headed for the paddock. It was worth the look on Barry's face. "Besides, she probably just wanted a kiss. You're her biggest fan." He stopped teasing and voice got serious. "Blue." Commanding tone and Blue was instantly alert, eyes going to her alpha as she followed him to the gated door. Barry easily backed away, giving them space. 

He trusted Owen's control, and had witnessed it first-hand time and time again. But he'd be stupid if he wasn't a little nervous. Blue's gaze moved to him and he tried not to think about that close call. Scariest moment of his life had been in that log when he hadn't been sure he'd be able to get through to her in time. 

"Blue. Eyes on me," Owen didn't seem the least bit affected as he opened the outer gate. He'd been in there with her prior to this but he'd never let her out. She backed away from the inner gate as he stepped in to open it. He didn't even glance back to see if the head of security was scared yet. If he was, he wasn't meant for this job. 

"See, it's all about mutual respect." He hit the switch and the inner gate slide open. "No muzzles. No leashes. Just . . . _her_." Blue chose that moment to move forward until she was close enough that she could have attacked him and Owen wouldn't have been able to flee. Barry licked his lips as Owen's hand came up and brushed gently against Blue's snout. She clicked her teeth then pressed against him, moving forward to brush against him in a very cat-like mannerism. Her attention was on the two men still outside the gate and she positioned herself between them and Owen as he led her out. 

". . . she isn't tamed." Owen met Jan's eyes with his, clearly challenging him. "I'm just the alpha."

Jan was very, very impressed. He took one step forward, then paused and settled back on his heels again. He wasn't afraid of her. Hell, he wasn't afraid of any of the animals in this park. He was rightfully worried about the Spinosaurus, but he didn't have to deal with that particular asshole.

" _Just_ the alpha, Owen? You're far more than that," he murmured, not raising his voice. He grinned, the expression somehow a lot more feral on his face than any human expression _should_ be. "Show me what you've got. Show me what she can do." He wanted to test this and make sure that everything was going to go perfectly before he played his hand.

Owen didn't like that. They wanted a dog and pony show. He felt Blue tensing and knew she was responding to him. He forced himself to remain cool on the outside but he was seething inside. Just like Hoskins, thinking about control. His fingers pressed lightly against her side, halting her before she made the wrong move. 

"So, just what do you want us to prove?" He ignored the questioning look thrown by Barry. 

"The footage from the incident should be sufficient," Barry spoke up, attempting to diffuse whatever this was. He'd noticed Blue's movement and knew what it was. She was seeking out a target but she wasn't settling for Jan. Her eyes found Barry but they weren't seeking a prey. Something had upset her Alpha, and that could become a very dangerous situation for them all.

". . . I don't think it is." Owen's voice was steely now and Blue openly hissed. "What's the agenda here? You one of Hoskins followers? Slipped through the net?" The accusations were sharp.

Jan refused to be baited, but his stress in being targeted showed through the calm tone he used since he _dared_ not growl. "Hoskins was a behind-the-lines hack who had no idea what hell he brought on this island. I was his stateside officer, but I was no ally of his." Jan pointed to the ground. "I wanna know how far Blue c'n get before she can't be recalled. I've seen _all_ the footage from the Indominus situation. Every camera. Every angle. Every. Damn. Death. An' I ain't here ta be compared ta that creature that Delta rightly put down before his visions o' grandeur killed more people."

The head of security drew in a few breaths to calm and center himself, his fans running silently under the hood to send super-cooled air towards his pissed-off processors. "I ain't askin' for some Goddamned circus act, Owen; I want ta know how safe it is ta be around your wild animals witchu bein' in control. I wanna know if I c'n trust your control over the girls."

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

He used pleural. Not singular.

Oh well.

Jan grinned before shaking his head. "Because Delta's 'bout ready to be taken offa th' sedatives today, an' the vet techs get a mite twitchy around the carnivores on the whole."

Owen's fists clenched tightly and he counted backwards from ten. Slow breath out. Barry moved to place himself between the two men. Blue's glance was curious, but the hostility left her body as she pressed more firmly against her alpha. It looked like she was offering comfort to an emotion only she was seeing. Owen looked scarily angry, more so than Barry had ever seen him prior and he'd witnessed the well-placed punch to Hoskins.

"Owen," he tried for soothing. 

"You knew." Not a question. Cat was out of the bag anyways. 

" _Oui_. It was primarily my decision not to bring you in-" he continued through Owen's protest,"-because I am also one of the handlers here, perfectly suited to the care of one raptor. We did not even know if she would make it, Owen. Why would I be so cruel?"

"You should have called me back!"

"We handled it fine, Owen."

"I'm her Alpha! Did you think about that?"

"That is why we need you now, Owen. She is terribly confused. I only provide so much before she needs her pack . . . we handled this."

"But-"

"What about Claire?" It was a low-blow but he knew Owen would listen when she was involved. "Were you just going to abandon her in DC? Alone? Scared? She needed you."

"Delta needs me." The protest was weak though, fight already leaving Owen's posture and tone. Barry was right. Owen was just . . . protective of his girls.

" _Now_. She needs you now. She was fine in my care and you know this." Barry gave him a pointed look and Owen nodded, forcing his hands to unclench and resume their pattern against Blue's other side. She was giving Barry a suspicious look before suddenly tossing her head back with a pack cry. 

"Yeah Blue. We're going to go get her and bring her home . . ." Owen murmured and patted her side but his look was distracted and unfocused. Who was more important? Claire . . . or his girls? 

Jan smiled and asked, "Wanna lift? If your girl will let you ride with me?" He backed towards his door, opening it without letting his gaze stray from the raptor. "An' am I correct in thinkin' that she's gonna be comin' with, too?"

Barry smiled, and shook his head. This he had to witness for himself, something from experience told him it'd be worthwhile. Blue made a chittering noise before stalking forward towards Jan's vehicle and then glanced back at Owen. 

"Well damn," Barry said and laughed. "She keeps doing things that surprise me."

"She'll keep up . . . Just take the back roads, don't need anyone else panicking." Owen muttered before crossing the way to the vehicle. Barry followed, still smiling and ignored the sour look Owen directed at him. Owen stopped beside Blue, gently tapping a knuckle against her snout before touching the vehicle. She exhaled loudly and nudged at him. "Follow. Stay close." She huffed and nuzzled against him before taking a few steps back. He shook his head and climbed inside. "Lead the way."

Jan grinned and waved to Barry before carefully pulling around and taking the dirt road back towards the park. It split about two hundred yards later, one little-used track angling west, the other and better-travelled road turning south, towards the main park. He could see flashes of the beta here and there, and he flicked his blinker towards the right-hand road. "Are ya mad at me, Alpha?"

"Owen." He stated immediately, correcting Jan. His eyes were on the side mirror, tracking Blue's movement. Pack mentality. "And I haven't decided."

"Fair 'nuff. I do like what you have with Blue." He was totally smiling at seeing a flicker of a tail in the foliage. "An' I'm curious to see what ya have with Delta. I will admit, Owen, I'm worried. Both of 'em killed humans. They know we can be menu items."

Owen rolled his eyes at that statement and shook his head before glancing over at Jan. "We've always been menu items. You know humans are considered _on the menu_ to other humans." The haunted look in his eye suggested he'd dealt with that, before he was smirking- casual mask in place. "It's about respect. See. Hoskins didn't respect them. Pretty sure you've already gotten that from Barry." He had a knowing look, that he was digging for information without actually asking for it. 

"Yeah. I stand by my words: Hoskins was a damned moron with his own glory in mind. But go on, please."

"Its pack dynamics. I'm the alpha because Blue follows my commands. Without that, they'd rebel. Blue is the Beta. I imprinted on all of them soon as they were born. They know me as the lead handler. Their alpha. Delta, well she's like Blue's second in command. All her directions come from Blue which come from me. Partially why we need Blue there. Because Delta needs that stable bond between pack members. She needs to know we're there for her, regardless and that we haven't left her for dead. She's got to be reassured she still has a place in the pack." He rubbed at his chin carefully before pulling out his phone and sending off a quick text to Claire. She'd want to know what he was about to do. Her response made him smile softly. 

"Good thing I cleared out the quarantine unit. Only the lead veterinarian will be there. She's been the only one that could deal with Delta and keep the quibbling little dipshits calm when they'd almost had a few breakouts." Jan sighed, resettling himself in the driver's seat before slowing the vehicle to go over a small bridge. "Owen, let me be perfectly honest. She broke almost every bone in her left leg. Her clavicle was snapped. Several small bones in her spine and tail were fractured. Right foot, big claw was pretty badly damaged. She lost almost all her rear teeth on the left side of her face. Left wrist was broken. Ribs bruised and more than two or three fractured on both sides. We honest-to-God didn't want to bring you in so that you could watch her die a second time. Do you understand why?"

Owen was tense, running through a mental picture of Delta as the injuries were listed. His hands tightened on his legs, fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises but he didn't care. He'd left her in that condition. He hadn't even checked on her. He'd been preoccupied with Claire and her nephews. He let out a breath that was more angry hiss than anything. He had left her to die. What kind of alpha did that make him? Blue had known though. 

She'd called out, rounding up the pack and he'd left with Claire. Barry had stayed back. Blue must have led him to Delta. Barry was Delta's handler, for the most part, but he'd never been as close as Owen had been. Part of the pack. Was he still part of it? Blue followed his lead but what would Delta think?

"Yeah." It came out sounding more like a hoarse croak. 

"Hey. Owen. Do you realize that your actions saved hundreds of lives? And that your personal assistance saved the best freaking asset and animal manager that the park has ever seen?" Jan bumped his knuckles against Owen's shoulder. "You saved lives. Your raptors, the rex, and the mosasaurus saved lives and kept the Indominus from getting to the docks. It was our turn to protect you and Claire. And you two needed that time, yeah? M'man told me that she's pretty damn stable because of you."

And then they were staring at a simple rectangular building, whitewashed and with windows barred. It was large enough to house the rex, but could be partitioned off inside to house smaller predators. Jan didn't unlock the doors. "You c'n feel guilty later. But right now, ya gotta remember that _all_ your girls need ya. All three of 'em. An' maybe more if Picard an' I can get Wu ta play by _our_ tune."

That time, Jan _did_ growl. He did not appreciate Wu's experimentations. By contrast, Wheeljack's worst lab explosions were created from combinations that were quite a bit more stable in theory.

Owen wasn't sure how Jan seemed to know the exact conflict running through his mind but he was grateful for the pep talk. He and Claire were great together. A little rough but what relationship wasn't? Jan was right, he hated to admit it. Guilt was an emotion to feel later, when he wasn't needed and possibly when he was alone with some booze. Claire didn't need to see it or know it. His actions spoke loud enough. He relaxed his hands and rubbed his palms against his jeans, reaching over to manually unlock the door. 

Blue darted out from the underbrush and seemed frantic as she headed one direction before falling back on another path. She ended up beside the jeep and Owen could see her trembling. She knew it was bad. He forced a calm breath and got out only to get smacked by Blue's tail as she whirled around and disappeared into the underbrush again. He could feel her eyes on him and stood firm, even though his side stung from the force of that hit. 

"Blue. On me." 

No movement. He remained in place and his hand found the clicker he'd kept through it all. Two clicks. 

"On me."

Blue darted out and stood before him, ready to go. 

"Good girl . . . now let's go get Delta."

Jan moved out of the car as soon as he knew that the raptor was stable. "Hey, Owen." He paused, then said, "You ever wanna take a night off and shoot the shit with some whiskey, beer, vodka, I don't care what . . . I'm an open ear. I want to work with you and your pack. But I want you and your pack to understand that I ain't your enemy. I want more than a small paddock for 'em and f'r you." He sighed. "An' from a somehow-civvie-safe former special-slash-black ops asshat to a proper Navy wave-fucker, I want ya to feel safe ta come knocking when ya need someone who ain't gonna think you're crazy. Got it? Same team, same fantasy island, bigger dreams." He grinned at the cornball joke. It was a terrible joke. Awful.

Owen fought back the smile and lost as a sharp snort was exhaled. Crude. But effective. Blue pressed against his side and her eyes traveled over the vehicle they'd taken as if searching for something. 

"Yeah. That'd be . . ." he trailed off, remembering he was supposed to be giving this guy a hard time and the smile became more cold. "Something to consider." Blue chirped turning her attention back to the door and her haunches quivered eagerly. A drinking buddy. A sympathetic ear. Why was this guy so likeable? Probably because he legitimately meant well. Also, Blue liked him. 

"Shall we?" He couldn't keep the tight emotions from slipping through into his voice though and he cleared his throat before making a gesture that he'd follow Jan.

Nodding, Azzara walked not to the human-sized door, but rather to the standard-size garage door to the left of it. He punched in the code to unlock and open so that they wouldn't have to finagle holding a door open for Blue. After the first park, all security-locked doorknobs were just that: knobs that required you to unlock it with a keypad and press three buttons, thumb and two fingers, to actually turn it. Raptors had learned opened more doors within minutes of being exposed to them. Hoskins had left one good legacy in these doorknobs.

Jan was having a bitch of a time uprooting his predecessor's other legacies. As soon as the door was up, leading into a bare room with a second door and a window set up to view any individuals entering. The Lead Veterinarian was already waiting on the other side of the glass. She'd open the second door as soon as the first was closed. Turning, the dark man smiled and indicated towards the lady in the window. "Owen, I assume you know Doctor Lindsey Brett?" 

Owen kept Blue behind him as he followed. A precaution in case she didn't like whoever was inside. She hissed but followed, seeming obedient but that could change in a matter of seconds. He gave a tight nod to Jan, eyes fastening to the solitary figure in a manner very similar to how Blue regarded potential threats. 

Time to rip the band-aid off. Blue head butted him none-too-gently, forcing him to move forward more so he didn't stumble. He kept the scowl off his face, aiming for unattached but inside he was a mess. That wouldn't be good for meeting Delta. He needed to be the Alpha. Blue pressed past him, claws clicking as she circled Jan easily before returning to him. Two calming breaths and he was in his Alpha mindset. Ready to tackle this. 

"So Doc, Can I take her home or do you need paperwork? Pretty sure that's what he's here for." Owen said easily, indicating Jan through tone. He was notorious for not turning in paperwork or giving field reports. 

Lindsey chuckled, leaning towards the microphone while Jan moved to close the door behind them. "He's got you covered. I warned him about what your paper trail looks like. All you need to do is sign a couple release forms and she's good as gold.” She nodded towards the security cameras that tracked the movement of anything with a thermal signature. Jan was glad that the nanites could give off a normal human heat-map. "Buzzing you into the hallway now; Delta is in the large recovery room. She's still a little drugged and a little unsteady on that leg. Jan, I need you to enter first, and take position in the observation room to man the doors for Owen and Blue. I'll be staying here to make sure that we remain in lockdown until Delta is coherent."

"Roger dodger," Jan replied. The next garage door opened for them, showing off a simple hallway with three doors on the right side, five on the left, and it terminated in another garage door to the largest recovery pen. The ceiling was comprised of skylights for as much natural lighting as possible, with simple fluorescent strips running at the top of the walls for the nighttime. He proceeded to the final door on the left, entered, and locked it behind him. Moments later, his voice came through a speaker. "Owen, Delta's starting to get into a bit of a fit. Phew. She's got a temper. Okay. So. Her bedding offended her." The humor in his voice showed that he wasn't afraid of the creature or her antics. "Take a look through the windows and let me know how you want to proceed."

He shook his head, knowing this was for Delta's own good. He glanced down at Blue and raised his eyebrows. She stared back. That was all he needed. They could handle this. He moved forward, flanked by Blue as they entered the area. Blue made a sharp sound, picking up on a scent as her nostrils flared. Then she darted down the hall, short barking cries tearing through her throat. 

"Blue!" Owen strode forward but she whirled on him and hissed low in her throat. "Yeah, she's here. We've got to take it easy." He led her back so he could see what Jan was talking about and his breath caught in his throat. 

Delta was limping, but was decidedly proud of the destruction she had created. The plush bedding was in shambles, the walls scratched, she had left scat on the edge of the sandbox, and the meat pieces that were still laced with sedatives was everywhere but where she wanted to walk. She was a proud bitch, she was. But she wanted out. She had heard an echo of Blue's rallying cry. Maybe it was a dream again. Maybe not.

Throwing her head back, she started calling out again for pack members in the strange cough-caw of her kind. And then she waited, tail lashing.

Jan smiled. "Damn, but she a thing o' beauty. Tell me when and how you want the door opened f'r ya, Owen."

"Oh that she is," Owen murmured quietly as Blue cocked her head intently listening to the cries of her pack-mate. "Alright." He nodded, keeping his position calm, cool and collected. He indicated his side and Blue moved, pressing against him. She seemed eager though. "Let her free."

Fingers turned the manual keys and then entered a six-digit passcode to open the door. It began to crank upwards at a slow pace.

Delta froze at the noise, then crouched too suddenly. With an indignant squawk, she fell over to her left side, but . . . her nose caught the scent.

Chirring, she pulled herself closer to the widening crack to take in deep drafts of air that smelled like . . .

_Alpha. Beta._

Cooing, chirping, she baby-talked at the booted and clawed feet, honestly drained from her exciting day of ruining a room for the interns. She wanted Alpha to touch her nose and rub at her face and her Friend to come and see her again with his soft, deep voice. She chirped, turning it into an open-mouthed purr as she saw hips and belly of her pack mates. Her leg hurt. She wanted so much to snuggle with Blue and Alpha. She wanted pack time.

Couldn't Alpha come closer?

Blue stayed pressed against his leg, but the noise she made was a plaintive whine to attend to Delta. Owen had frozen the moment Delta had tipped, he'd wanted to rush in to her aid but knew better. His girls didn't take to drugs kindly. The noises she made were similar to those of when she and her sisters had first been born. 

He wasn't ashamed to admit he used to let them clamber all over him when they were smaller- than they'd gotten too large. His breath came out slowly. Right. They were just waiting and Blue was getting antsy. As Alpha he needed to show that Delta was still one of the pack. 

_"Delta."_ The way he said her name could break hearts with the amount of guilt laced through it. Blue clicked her teeth expectantly, shifting weight from side to side. "I'm here girl . . . and I've even brought Blue." He moved forward slowly but with confidence as if he was absolutely assured in his actions. Blue moved with him but then he faltered. She didn't take kindly to it and he received a hip-shove that forced him into a crouch. 

Too quickly. 

He became still, eyes searching Delta for any signs of hostility before reaching for her. Blue, as the Beta, was waiting for her moment after the Alpha. Owen would be the one to decide if Delta was still pack. She'd always be pack to him. Fingers that didn't tremble pressed against her snout, sliding a hand along her jawline.

"Hey . . . ready to go home?" Blue chirped loudly before joining him, nosing at her packmate with glee. Sharp barks and then she was messing with Owen's hair, nipping at his jacket. "Blue, stop. We're alright." The look she gave him had him questioning just how much she knew about the situation. 

Delta nosed and wriggled her way closer, starting to feel the pangs of healing wounds again. But her head was on Alpha's leg, ear pressed against the familiar heartbeat. She blew out a sigh, turning just enough to look up at Blue and sleepily trill at her packmate. The pack was good to be around. Alpha was here. Beta-Blue was here.

She didn't want to be here again. She had heard the word _home_. Home was food. Home was rest. Home was the dark stables where she could hide and sleep and recover. Rolling slowly back and forth until she got her feet under her, Delta crouched, pressing her forehead against Owen's shoulder. The third-in-command, but now lowest packmate in hierarchy, let a small whine escape before turning it into an "aaawm-awm-awm" sound.

Jan felt chills roll along his actual frame. What the Pit?

_~Jazz! Jazz, are you okay?!~_ Prowl felt his sudden terror over the Bond.

_~Y-yeah, babe. But . . . uh . . . I think that the raptors are a lot more intelligent than anyone gave 'em credit for. Delta sounds like she's saying "home" and Pit be slagged, but I think she knows exactly what it means.~_

_~Oh frag me running. Track this development. This could be a very good, but very dangerous thing. I'll forward your findings to Wheeljack.~_

Jan leaned towards the microphone, speaking very softly. "Owen? What's the plan?"

Owen chuckled, damn this was good. Just him and Blue wasn't enough. Delta helped equal the feeling of loss out. They'd miss their fallen sisters but they were three strong now. He rubbed an affectionate hand along Delta and made sure Blue got similar treatment. He was aware of Jan speaking but it took a moment for him to completely figure it out- what with Blue nuzzling his head and Delta against his shoulder. 

"Uh . . . plan . . . plan. Right. I don't want Delta trying to run back. We'll have to transport her and I think Blue will want to be with her-" he was cut of by Blue's snort and he gave her a curious look. 

She moved to pace closer to where the voice had sounded before giving him a look he didn't quite understand. 

"Blue will get back the same way she came. It's good to stretch their legs. But I'll be with Delta. So we can set that up now. She'll follow my commands but I've a feeling she doesn't want to be separated right now." He gave Blue another glance but she hadn't moved. Was it something about Jan? He went back to running his hands against Delta. The wounded raptor leaned into his touch. Alpha was good. Alpha still wanted her.

Jan smiled. He was very glad that he had been right about Owen's control over the animals. But Owen would never say that he controlled them. Still, an Alpha controlled the pack. "All right. Let's get them back to the first door, and we'll do what we can to get them settled in the SUV. Windows down, and the top half of the back hatch open for tails. Sound good?"

"As long as you're okay with any damages that might be incurred," he warned before shifting positions. He rose up, keeping hands against Delta. "Delta, on me." The command was the same as always but his touch was gentle. He stayed beside her, offering support and glanced to Blue who was already moving away to follow their route back out. It'd be an easy task. He saw her pause to examine the doorknob though. 

"Blue, don't." He got a soft snort that made her sound amused, to him anyways, before she moved on. She'd probably figure it out before they got to the paddock. He knew she'd watched them used before but he didn't need her scaring people by opening what was supposed to be raptor-proof doors. He kind of thought of it like all those child-proofing things. Eventually they outlived their use. He glanced at Delta, keeping the pace slow. 

Jan didn't want to scare them, but he needed to follow them out. Blue was okay with him, but he'd never met Delta. It'd be interesting to see. He left the large door open, and then opened his door to the hallway.

Delta startled and hissed over her shoulder, stopping all forward movement to see what the new noise was.

"Ho-woah-woah," Jan murmured, knowing that she'd hear his voice. He closed the door behind him, then stood very similarly to how Owen stood, only with less height. "Easy, girl. I'm just here to help. Easy, now. You remember my voice, yeah?"

Breathing in and out in half-growls, Delta narrowed her eyes, half-screamed at him in defiance, and headbutted Owen's shoulder. She knew the strange man. She didn't want to think about the strange man. But he was kind to her. Fed her clean meat. spoke soft like Friend. Calling up to Blue, limping up to her sister, she lowered her head in submission, sliding it under her Beta's chin before turning and looking back at the strange man. She wavered on her feet. Could she trust him? He wasn't pack, he wasn't . . . really . . . like Owen or Friend. Delta, still feeling a little strange in the head, whined a question. Was he friend or was he prey?

Jan watched her movements. "Uh. Should I start getting back into the room, Owen?"

Owen hadn't moved for most of it, eyes fastened on his raptors instead of Jan. He had to understand and gauge the behavior before cutting in. They weren't looking to attack and it was Jan's fault for sneaking up on them . . . though wouldn't that be Owen's fault for not having him exit first or wait? No. This wasn't even a big deal. Owen was between Jan and them. They'd deflect to him for actions to take. 

Blue chittered softly, comforting. Jan wasn't friend like Delta's handler . . . but he definitely wasn't prey. Though hunting him would be entertaining. She sized him up again, even though she'd done this before. Owen didn't appear tense or even concerned. So this was not prey and maybe never to be prey. Her gaze settled on Owen's, the intent clear, she would kill if her alpha was harmed. He had been distressed earlier but she knew why. 

She nuzzled Delta before uttering a sharp barking challenge, directed at Jan. 

"Nah," Owen said finally, turning to look at Jan. To really look at him. "Can't quite put my finger on it . . . but there's something you're hiding. I might not know, but they do. Also, they are _very_ protective . . . so don't do anything rash in their presence . . ."

Blue let out a huff of air, nudging her sister into motion before whirling and continuing for the door that led outside. Owen had an uneasy feeling about Jan and the longer he witnessed his girls' behaviors . . . the worst it got.

Jan blinked slowly. _~He knows somethin' ain't right about mah holoform, Prowler.~_

_~Proceed with caution.~_

_~You're good if I spill early?~_

_~Yes. We need him. Keeping secrets will only serve to drive him further away.~_

Drawing in a breath, Jan nodded. "I got secrets an' answers f'r all the questions ya got. But I'd prefer ta tell ya with Claire an' Picard present and kept private. But let's get ya girl home first an' get her settled. She's our priority."

His eyes narrowed in distrust. Sure, guessing about secrets was one thing...having it confirmed was another. So he did what any man would do. He pointed at Jan. 

"You say or do anything that hurts Claire or my raptors . . . you won't make it off this island." Then he turned, clear intention to move on past this moment to where his girls' were. Blue seemed very interested in Jan's ride. She was nosing the wheels and blowing hotly under the chassis. She looked ridiculous though and Owen shook his head at her antics. She whined and scratched at the ground before bounding away and slamming into Owen. He staggered backwards but she was already waiting by the car. 

He rubbed his arm with a frown but continued on. 

"Honors yours. Don't blame me if they chew the interior." Blue flexed her claws and dipped her head, rubbing against the side mirror with a soft-purr. She was a lady after all. "Seriously, what has gotten into you . . ."

Jan smiled and tried not to squirm on his wheels at the nosing and nuzzling. He moved carefully, eyes never meeting theirs as he unlocked the car and opened the back to let out the hot air. He'd modified the tailgate so that he could fold the top half up and the bottom half down like a pickup truck. Moving to the driver's side, he opened the door, tossed his keys into the center console and pushed the start button. Turning his engine smoothly, he rolled down the windows, then opened the rear door to start pulling the seats down. "Honestly, the upholstery can take a beating. And if they leave toothmarks behind, eh, well, it won't be the worst thing that's happened to my vehicle."

_~Not like slagging getting torn in half.~_

_~Primus, Prowl, give it a rest. I need to stay chill here.~_

_~Dammit. I'm stressing because I wasn't prepared to tell them about us yet. That was supposed to happen in a couple weeks.~_

Jazz mentally shrugged while he closed the rear driver's side door. "Ready as it'll ever be. Hi, Blue." She was a lot closer than he had anticipated. Delta, thankfully, was still on the other side of the vehicle with Owen.

"Thanks." It was more than he'd usually give anyone but Jan was being extremely helpful. He ignored Blue and moved to the back to assist Delta if she needed it. Not that she would. He climbed in carefully so she'd be able to lay down against him if she chose too. 

Blue watched Jan intently, waiting for him to move. She had plans for when he opened his door and he'd be wise not to stop her. 

"Blue, come on." But it wasn't a command. Owen suspected she'd follow. 

Delta was already in and snorting and rooting her head around like a large dog would be doing to get comfortable. she lipped at Owen's shoulder before settling down.

Jan moved the one step to the left to open his door and started getting in.

Blue was faster. She brushed past Jan, leaping into his car with more grace than an animal her size would be expected to have. She looked comical as she turned in the passenger seat, tail sliding over everything and claws pricking the interior so she could turn to watch him get in.

Owen tried not to laugh. He really did but it happened anyway. 

"Oh-I'm sorry! Don't know-what's up-with her today!" He collapsed resting beside Delta, fist against his mouth tightly to smother the sound. "Wish I had a camera, Claire isn't going to believe this." Blue managed to look meek, even though she didn't fit and it had to be uncomfortable.

Jan rested his hands on his hips, grinning and shaking his head. A muffled snort of laughter escaped him before he could stifle it. He was glad that the window was open. Either her head or her tail would have to pop out for her to get comfortable. "Damn. Your girls are something else, man." Pulling out a facsimile of an iPhone, Jan took a picture (really using the nanites to capture the whole image, creating a hologram image then getting the perfect angle to show off both Blue looking meek and coy, with Owen cuddling Delta in the back), then sent it along to Claire and Picard, CC'ing Owen with the caption, "MY copilot is prettier than YOUR copilot!"

"Fine, Blue. You're copilot today." He moved carefully to get into the vehicle, not wanting to startle her. The last time a dino rode copilot, a fat man that caused several deaths ended up with a face full of poison. "But driver picks the music, and shotgun shuts her piehole unless she wants ta sing along." He closed his door, put the car in reverse, and waved goodbye to Doc Lindsey before doing a perfect three-point-turn and driving slowly down the dirt road back towards the paddock. About a hundred feet down the path, he glanced up at Owen in the rearview mirror. "Ya looked mad that I confirmed that I was hiding somethin'. I'd rather be honest witchu. I will warn ya, that if Picard gives me an order not ta say anythin' tonight, I'm gonna hafta shaddup. We're still under a nondisclosure agreement."

Even though he carried a Matrix and was Prowl's civilian superior, Prowl was still his ranking officer in certain situations. Made for some interesting debates that had most of NEST settling in with popcorn and bets on who would win.

"Everyone has secrets," Owen stated evenly, eyes on Delta as he physically examined her wounds. Wicked looking scar on her leg. He resumed stroking along her neck though and ignored how Blue was watching him as well. He mulled over his next words. 

"Lately . . . any secrets around me have ended badly . . . for all parties involved." His fingers stilled. "Claire's just calmed down and she's almost stable. I . . . don't want something else that'll off-set her." His main concern was Claire. Anything Jan did that somehow threatened her and he was going to have to figure out how to get them away. 

Blue whined softly and he found her eyes. She knew what he was thinking. Alpha didn't leave the pack. They wouldn't let him. He reached up to brush her snout softly. 

"Not going anywhere, Blue," he murmured and she closed her eyes before moving to nudge at Jan's shoulder. Owen shook his head. He spoke louder. "Blue likes you. These raptors are a good judge of character. Also of anything that threatens pack stability. Hoskins . . . he was nothing but red flags. Blue let him be because I listened to him." Until he'd punched him. "Delta? Oh, she absolutely _hated_ him. That went much deeper than simple predator-prey mentality. He also insulted her . . ." He moved closer to Delta. "Isn't that right girl? Couldn't even get your gender right."

Jan was shocked at the casual touch, but didn't dare reciprocate yet. His job was to get them to the paddock safely. "I think . . . I hope . . . that what we have to share will not be seen as threatening, but rather as reassuring. I will say this, Owen: There are a couple handfuls of people who are aware of what happened here, and _not_ the public story. They're _not_ part of InGen, either. They know what you did, and they are very, _very_ happy that we were able to get both you and Claire back on this island. But that's all I can say until tonight." He fell silent for a moment.

His "phone" chimed with a message, with the sender's name popping up on his entertainment screen. He held the solid holographic representation of his comm-link over his shoulder. "Here. It's from Claire. Can you read it out to me?"

Owen accepted it with a frown then smiled. Claire. Good old loveable Claire. He opened it up and read slowly, her typing it out. 

"She . . . says that's nice but her copilot's in the back and the . . . _things_ they do wouldn't be considered beastality." He shook his head, "She must've known I was going to see this. Don't know how she managed to tear herself away from work to look at it . . . much less respond." Or tease him indirectly. Oh. He was definitely showing her how good a copilot he could be later, and she knew it. She wouldn't have said it otherwise. 

Jan grinned, pulling close to the raptor paddock and stopping the vehicle slowly. "M'man said he would be stealing her away for a few hours around this time. I sent him a message too. If he hasn't responded yet, I know that I'm in for it." He shrugged, and a little closer to the gates before getting out and leaning on his door. "We're gonna order takeout from Main Street for tonight . . . do you have any preference? Chipotle, Tsunami Oishii, Trattoria Della Rosa, or Shanghai Kitchen? Talking over food, spilling national secrets . . ."

Dinobot barked from his enclosure.

"Oh, hush."

That got him a throaty growl, which he ignored, knowing that it wasn't human behavior to ignore a pissed-off dinosaur. He was done hiding his lack of fear of the animals around Owen.

Owen watched it all without comment. How much had he missed before just because he'd been trying to ignore Jan's existence? 

"National secrets hunh . . . sounds worthwhile." He managed to sound bored as Jan carefully lowered the tailgate and Owen moved to get out. "Claire's on some health kick so as long as she feels there's plenty of healthy choices she's fine. Me, I eat whatever doesn't eat me first." He paused to think about that. "Yeah . . . whatever is good."

He'd left the gates open and knew Barry was there. His ATV was still parked. Blue scrambled out, climbing over Owen who grunted at being flattened by a raptor. She uttered a cheerful bark before racing into the paddock but stopped to wait for Delta. 

Barry took that moment to appear on the cat-walk. His smile was good natured as he came to ground level. 

"Owen . . . I see you have made it back in one piece and with such a pretty lady too. Claire just might get jealous." His teasing was light -hearted but he seemed delighted to see Delta with Owen. 

"Psssh. Ask Claire. She isn't worried at all," Owen said climbing out of the vehicle before glancing at Jan and tipping his head towards Barry in question. Did Barry know or would he find out? 

Jan pursed his lips, then shrugged, waggling his hand in midair. Could go either way, but they'd make that decision tonight. He grinned up at Barry."She's a perfect passenger, too. But that could be the sedatives. Do you think she'll need more of them to wean off of the effects and keep her chill for the next couple days, or should we cold-turkey her? You two know best and I'm just the messenger today."

Dinobot snorted and rubbed against the bars on the open side of his pen. _:Just the messenger. Of course you are, Lieutenant Jazz. You're less of a messenger than I am a fluffy slagging rabbit.:_

_:When I ask for your opinion, Youngling, I'll slagging well ask for it verbally. Knock it off or I will swat you from here back to your Caretaker. And I don't care who sees me doin' it.:_

The lack of patience and sheer malice over the comm-link was a good reminder to the younger mech that Jazz had to kill others with ice in his lines and a lack of remorse. He turned away from the mech and walked to the back of his pen to settle in the shade. _:Yes, Prime. I . . . apologize.:_

Owen and Barry shared a look that spoke of how long they'd worked together. Both glanced at Delta before looking back at each other. Owen was the Alpha but Barry was her personal handler. Barry finally sighed, rubbing his face thoughtfully. 

"I do not want her to be dependent on them. She has been on them for a long while. We could wean her off . . . but . . ." And here he looked at Owen who nodded. 

"Cold turkey it is." 

"We will watch her to make certain it is not something she can not handle. She is strong and will recover well." 

"Come on Delta, time to settle back in. It's been too quiet here without you," Owen commented, heading into the paddock with his girls. 

"That man is something else," Barry murmured quietly from where he ended up near Jan's car. "They told me he had a way with animals . . . I thought that is good but these are dinosaurs . . . but it is so much more than that." He shook his head. "I hate to think what would have happened if Owen had not been contacted by Hoskins for this job . . ." He trailed off. 

"He would have found someone. Probably someone who wasn't quite so strong-willed and would have done his bidding." Jan smiled at Barry. "Let's leave that speculation for when we got more alcohol than blood in our veins, eh? C'mon, I might as well help. Want me to get her a leg of beef?"

Barry laughed and made to clasp a hand on Jan's shoulder. "You and me both. Sure, this way. Owen will be in there for a while." He led Jan aside and spared a glance at Owen who was leaning against Delta and telling Blue something. Even from here he could tell Owen was more whole than before. It was a good thing.


End file.
